I spent a year living in Jordan when I was 23 and I wondered if my visit to Nandine in Camberwell would take me back.
Yes, there’s lashings of sumac in the dishes as you might expect from a Middle Eastern restaurant and the Dolmas they served had the familiar tang that I remember so well despite being served in cabbage as opposed to vine leaves but other than that it was a pleasant journey into some new flavours.
Nandine is in fact a Kurdish restaurant and it was an absolute delight to explore this cuisine. Pary Baban is the matriarch of the family who run Nandine. She was displaced by the Iraqi war in 1989 and spent years travelling through Kurdistan avoiding the conflict. The recipes and regional differences she picked up on her journey are all reflected in the menu.
When Pary and her husband landed in the UK, they ran a newsagents and sold sandwiches stuffed with her famous sauteed spinach, they were a hit. Later they opened a concession in the Peckham Levels food hall and now have a lovely café style restaurant in Camberwell.
The standout dish for me was the Smoked Mutton Rice, a dish as complex as it was comforting. It felt like you had been invited to a friend’s Mum’s house for dinner. This dish has such a distinctive yet unusual flavour. The depth coming from the slow cooked falling apart chunks of mutton, combined with sultanas and walnuts, it was just amazing.
The Lamb Kofta style kebabs were also really good, the meat was so tender it just fell apart giving them a lightness you don’t often get with lamb mince.
The menu also features fish and the Whole Sea Bass was a nice touch for pescatarians, it was lightly seasoned with the citrus sumac which complimented rather than overpowered the fish. It was good but I really think the meat is where this restaurant excels.
We tried a vegan style dumpling but was pretty big and bold and fairly tough to get into. The texture was a little grainy for me, but I can imagine it might suit some tastes.
The restaurant has an industrial, rustic chilled vibe and I loved the Kurdish artwork and references throughout.
If you are looking for an affordable, relaxed dining experience with an authentic heart and different flavours from your run of the mill Lebanese – this Middle Eastern restaurant is the place for you.
Review and Images by Emmie Blower @emmiebhungry
